Buttonhole Definition
bŭtn-hōl
buttonholed, buttonholes, buttonholing
noun
buttonholes
A slit or loop through which a button can be fastened.
Webster's New World
A boutonniere.
American Heritage
(chiefly UK) A flower worn in a buttonhole for decoration.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
- button hole
verb
buttonholed, buttonholes, buttonholing
To make buttonholes in.
Webster's New World
To make with a buttonhole stitch.
Webster's New World
To make (a person) listen to one, as if by grasping his or her coat by a buttonhole.
Webster's New World
To accost and detain (a person) in conversation.
American Heritage
To detain (a person) in conversation against their will.
Wiktionary
Origin of Buttonhole
-
Originally buttonhold (a loop of string to hold a button down), but changed by folk etymology by influence of hole; see the Wikipedia article on folk etymology
From Wiktionary
V., sense 3, probably alteration of button-hold
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to buttonhole using the buttons below.